Fall Mandatory CWD Sampling

News from the region: StatewideBy: Joe Jerek Jun 28, 2017

As part of its efforts to find and limit the spread of CWD, MDC will again require hunters who harvest deer in any of 25 select counties of the CWD Management Zone during the opening weekend of the November portion of the firearms deer season (Nov. 11 and 12) to present their harvested deer at one of 56 MDC sampling stations so tissue samples can be taken to test the animals for CWD.

The 25 mandatory CWD sampling counties include new counties added to the CWD Management Zone, counties with previous CWD positives, and counties very near previous positives. They are: Adair, Barry, Benton, Cedar, Cole, Crawford, Dade, Franklin, Hickory, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Macon, Moniteau, Ozark, Polk, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Warren, and Washington.MDC will also continue to offer voluntary CWD sampling opportunities throughout the 2017-2018 deer hunting season at more than 55 participating taxidermists and designated MDC offices around the state.​Additional information is available in MDC’s 2017 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available starting in July where permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

Deer Feeding Ban Expansion

News from the region: StatewideBy: Joe Jerek Jun 28, 2017​​JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has expanded restrictions on feeding deer and placing minerals for deer from 29 to 41 counties throughout the state, effective July 1. The goal of the expanded feeding ban is to help limit the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD). The 41 counties comprise MDC’s CWD Management Zone. MDC designates counties in and around where CWD has been found as part of its CWD Management Zone.

The 12 new counties are: Barry, Benton, Cedar, Dade, Hickory, Ozark, Polk, St. Clair, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, and Taney. They were added in response to finding CWD in Jefferson and St Clair counties during MDC’s sampling efforts last season, and the finding of CWD last year in hundreds of deer in northwest Arkansas near the Missouri border.

According to the Wildlife Code of Missouri, the placement of grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable natural and manufactured products used to attract deer is prohibited year-round within counties of the CWD Management Zone. Exceptions are feed placed within 100 feet of any residence or occupied building, feed placed in such a manner to reasonably exclude access by deer, and feed and minerals present solely as a result of normal agricultural or forest management, or crop and wildlife food production practices.

“CWD is spread from deer to deer and the potential for transmission increases when deer gather in larger, concentrated numbers,” said MDC Wildlife Disease Coordinator Jasmine Batten. “Feeding deer or placing minerals for deer unnaturally concentrates the animals and can help spread the deadly disease.”

Big Buck Found

Big Buck Alert: 270-Class, 37-Point Whitetail Found in Missouri Article by Steve Hill. Uploaded on April 03, 2013 Tweet A Missouri shed hunter discovered a 37-point rack on public land near St. Charles that could be among the top five whitetails ever recorded in the Show Me State.

The 270-class antlers—still attached to the skull of a buck that officials believe died in late summer—were found March 13 on the 7,000-acre August A. Busch Memorial Conservation area in St. Charles County. The find immediately brought to mind another trophy pickup from Missouri, the Boone & Crockett world-record nontypical “Missouri Monarch” (pictured below). That 333 7/8-inch 44-pointer was found dead in St. Louis County, which borders St. Charles County, in 1981.

“It’s surprising to see a deer of that size come off the Busch area,” says John Vogel, Wildlife Regional Supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation, who has worked at the conservation area for 13 years. “The biggest I’ve seen was in the 190 range. Seeing something in the 270s is impressive. There aren’t a lot of nontypical genetics here. We see a drop tine here and there, but even that’s rare. So it’s unique seeing a rack like this.”

The Busch area, located 30 miles from downtown St. Louis, features hiking and biking trails, an archery range, dog training areas and fishing lakes. It also hosts archery, muzzleloader and youth whitetail hunts. The managed hunts have been popular in the past, and probably will get even more popular now, Vogel says.

Though it’s a pickup like the Missouri Monarch, this latest find went undiscovered for months, far longer than the world-record buck. “What impressed me most is there’s not one gnaw mark anywhere on the rack,” Vogel says. “The rodents and squirrels usually wreak havoc on them.”

Unofficial estimates put the gross at 270, with a projected net in the low 260s. That would be enough to rank the 5 ½- to 6 ½-year-old as the No. 4 nontypical in Missouri. State officials plan to have the rack officially scored in the near future. The shed hunter (who prefers to remain unnamed) was issued a permit to legally possess the skull and antlers.

The 37-point rack features an inside spread of 20 ½ inches. By comparison, the Missouri Monarch boasts 44 points with an inside spread of 23 3/8 inches. That rack weighed 11 ¼ pounds when it was discovered near a fence line in 1981.

While the Busch buck is a noteworthy testament to the trophy potential of Missouri deer, there’s no doubt which set of antlers is still king.

Published on: Nov. 21, 2012Posted by Jim LowJEFFERSON CITY–Hunters shot 204,668 deer during the November portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season, topping the past four years’ harvests and confirming predictions by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).This year’s statewide November deer harvest is 7.7 percent more than last year and only 1.3 percent below the previous 10-year average.Top harvest counties during the season Nov. 10 through 20 were Howell with 4,037, followed by Texas with 3,916 and Benton with 3,756. MDC recorded five nonfatal and three fatal firearms-related hunting incidents during the 11-day November firearms deer hunt.County and regional harvest figures confirm the pre-season forecast by MDC Resource Scientist Jason Sumners. He predicted a strong harvest in southern Missouri because of a poor acorn crop. The southern half of the state is dominated by forest, so acorns play a much more important role in deer’s fall and winter diets there. Acorn scarcity forces deer to move more and concentrates them around limited food sources, making them easier for hunters to find.Eight of the 10 top harvest counties were south of the Missouri River. A ninth county, Callaway, borders the Missouri River and contains a large percentage of forestland. Only Macon County bucked the trend of southern dominance.Sumners says the Southeast Region reported the largest harvest increase at 30 percent, followed by the Ozark Region, with a 24-percent increase. Other regional increases were St. Louis, 18 percent; Southwest, 17 percent; and Central, 10 percent. MDC recorded harvest decreases of 6 percent in the Kansas City and Northeast regions and a 9-percent decrease in the Northwest Region.Sumners says the decline in north Missouri’s deer harvest mirrors a decline in deer populations there in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, deer numbers have increased slowly across southern Missouri. He said both trends are the result of MDC’s efforts to maximize hunting opportunity while avoiding unacceptable levels of property damage and deer-vehicle collisions.Sumners noted that does made up approximately 44 percent of the November deer harvest, a 10-percent increase from last year.“The increase in doe harvest is somewhat indicative of growing deer numbers in southern Missouri,” says Sumners. “However, it is concerning if doe harvest increased in counties hit hard by hemorrhagic diseases. This could significantly set back deer populations in some areas to the point where it might take some time to recover.”Nevertheless, said Sumners, “Missouri has a strong, healthy deer herd. Careful management and strong citizen support for game laws allow us to adjust to changes like this and enhance the social and economic benefits that go with deer hunting.”Deer hunting contributes approximately $1.1 billion annually to the state and local economies and supports more than 12,000 jobs in Missouri.-Jim Low-http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/november-deer-harvest-biggest-four-years

BLUE TONGUE BIGGER THEN WE THOUGHT!!

On my last hunting trip mind you I hunt public land I found a dead doe in a pond. I called the Missouri department of conservation told them were it was and they said they would send an agent out. When I was walking out during the thunderstorm an agent was pulling up I talked to him for a little bit and was informed that they have been finding more and more dead deer out there. He said with the two I have found they are up to six. He said the Conway area got hit hard to. I ran into some guys at Wal-Mart and we started talking about it and they live around Comptain Hollow and both have found two deer dead a piece. The guess is that more deer have died from blue tongue this year than all the bow kills last year. They are trying to come up with a number that will be able to represent how many deer die that we don’t find in relation to the amount we do find. Example for every deer we find there are 5 out there dead that we haven’t found. All I have to say about this is that if you find a deer dead call the conservation department let them know. This might be a rough season if all my deer are dying without me shooting them.

what you need to do if you find a dead buck or skull.

If you find a dead deer or a deer skull with the antlers attached to legally keep them you need to contact a conservation agent and you can either tag the deer or get a disposition to legally possess the antlers. When this happens you can’t sell them they are for your personal display and use.

What you need to know if you have a gun during bow season!

3 CSR 10-7.432 Deer: Archery Hunting SeasonPURPOSE: This rule establishes the archerydeer hunting season, limits, and provisionsfor hunting.(1) The archery deer hunting season is September 15 through January 15, excluding the November portion of the firearms deer hunting season. Use archery methods only; firearms may not be possessed with the following exceptions (Firearms possessed under these exceptions may not be used to take wildlife while archery hunting. Proof of this exception must be carried while hunting.): (A) Any person who has been issued a concealed carry endorsement on a driver license or non-driver license and such endorsement or license has not been suspended, revoked, canceled, or denied may carry concealed firearms on or about his/her person while hunting; and(B) Any qualified law enforcement officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer as defined in the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (18 USC 926B or 18 USC 926C) may carry concealed firearms on or about his/her person while hunting.

Reports of Dead and Sick Deer!

By Jeff BertiThe Department of Conservation is asking deer hunters to help monitor hemorrhagic disease, a disease that has always existed in Missouri deer. They also want hunters to be alert for evidence of a deer illness that has recently been documented in Missouri.Persons who encounter dead or sickly deer are asked to report these sightings to the Department of Conservation. Such reports play an important role of the agency’s deer management program. They also could provide an early warning of a serious wildlife health problem.Like all animals, deer are subject to a unique set of diseases. One of the most common is epizootic hemorrhagic disease. Mistakenly called bluetongue but commonly known as EHD; This illness is caused by a virus.Although the virus is always present throughout Missouri’s deer herd, serious outbreaks occur only occasionally. Drought usually contributes to EHD outbreaks by forcing deer to congregate around limited water sources. High deer population density also can make it easier for the disease to spread. However, outbreaks can occur even in years when water is abundant and in areas of normal deer population density.Another deer disease, which was recently found in North Central Missouri, is chronic wasting disease, or CWD. Although chances of a hunter encountering an animal with CWD are extremely small, it is important for hunters to be aware of the possibility.Chronic wasting disease is similar to mad cow disease, which caused so much destruction to the British livestock industry a few years ago. That makes it very scary to a lot of people. There is no evidence that CWD is dangerous to domestic livestock or to people. But the potentially devastating effect that chronic wasting disease could have on our deer population makes it a real concern.The symptoms of CWD and EDH have some similarities and some differences. EHD causes weakness, swelling of the mouth and tongue, sores on the mouth and tongue and bleeding from the mouth, nose, eyes or anus. The disease causes thirst, and affected animals often die near water. Deer with EHD usually die quickly from internal bleeding.In contrast, deer with CWD suffer a lingering death. CWD takes many months or even years to develop, so it is only seen in adult animals. Typically, deer with CWD are 18 months or older, are emaciated and show some combination of signs, including abnormal behavior, increased salivation, tremors, stumbling, lack of coordination, difficulty in swallowing, excessive thirst and excessive urination. Affected animals often stand with heads down, ears drooping and saliva dripping from their mouths. EHD does not infect humans, and eating venison from deer with EHD is not dangerous, though secondary infections can render venison unfit to eat. Human disease has not been associated with CWD. However, there are many unknowns about the disease. Hunters should avoid contact with abnormal deer, as they would with any sick animal. They should also wear protective gloves when field dressing a deer or when coming in contact with the spinal cord or brain of a deer.The Conservation Department has tested several diseased deer for CWD over the past few years. Recently, a small number of wild deer in northeastern Linn and northwestern Macon counties have tested positive for CWD. Deer inside of a captive deer facility in the same area also tested positive for the disease. Because of the positive tests, biologists are interested in testing sick deer taken fey hunters during the upcoming hunting season. Any hunter who kills a sick or unusually skinny adult deer is urged to report the kill to the nearest department office or conservation agent. The heads of selected animals will be taken for testing to determine why the deer appeared sick.As of right now, there have been no known cases of CWD in Grundy County. However, we would like to keep a close eye on the deer population to monitor the possible spread of the disease. If you find a sick deer or one that appears to have died from disease, please call me at 660-654-2677.

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